Influence of sociodemographic factors on dementia and depression onset in the elderly

Introduction: The most common mental disorders in the elderly are depression and dementia. Objective: Examine the impact of sociodemographic characteristics on the appearance of depression and dementia in elder patients treated in Primary Health Center (PHC), Banja Luka. Method: The study included 208 patients over 65 years of age, selected by random selection method, registered in 6 family medicine teams at the PHC Banja Luka in the period from March to May 2016. Respondents completed the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory, and Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for dementia assessment. Different statistical procedures were used in the data processing: descriptive analysis in the form of frequencies and percentages, Chi-square test, T-test. The results of the research were statistically analyzed by SPSS 11.5 program. Results: The study included 208 patients older than 65, of whom 38.9% were male. Impaired cognition was found in 7.2% and moderate depression in 24.5% of patients. Dementia was statistically significantly (p = 0.000) more present in the eldest respondents ≥ 81 years, while depression was mostly present in patients aged 76-80. Physically active individuals were significantly less affected by depression (p = 0.001) and dementia (p = 0.000). Dementia and depression occurred more frequently in people living alone and people with a low level of education. Conclusion: A family physician plays an important role in the early detection of depression and dementia in the elderly, the identification of risk factors, prevention, and treatment of these patients.